LOUISVILLE  Alan Reeves had a hunch on a horse in the Kentucky Derby, and like a good hunch player, the 91-year-old World War II veteran followed his instincts about the colt, Normandy Invasion.

“I just had to find out who owned the horse and why it was named Normandy Invasion,” said Reeves, who lives at the Chateau La Jolla Inn. “So I got in touch with the farm that owns the horse, and that led to a trip to the Kentucky Derby.

A French-speaking interpreter who saved a prominent Frenchman’s life during WW II, flew here to Louisville Friday for Saturday’s Run for the Roses. Reeves will be a special guest of Churchill Downs and Rick Porter, who owns Fox Hill Farms, Inc. Porter will send out his talented 3-year-old colt, Normandy Invasion, to be ridden by Javier Castellano at 12-1 odds in the Derby. And there to watch at a special table on Millionaire’s Row will be three survivors of the D-Day invasion and Reeves, who went to France after the invasion.

To add more to the hunch, Reeves has meals daily in, of all places, the Normandy Dining Room. He breaks bread with a few retired Navy men and two women from Boston, the Williams sisters. Normandy Invasion is by Tapit out of the mare, Boston Lady by Boston Harbor.

“Add up all this stuff, and Normandy Invasion can’t lose,” Reeves said.

By just making a phone call to inquire about how Normandy Invasion got his name, Reeves received an expenses-paid trip to Louisville and the Derby. The only thing Reeves needs is money to gamble, and he’s bringing it.

“I’m going to bet $69 because it’s the 69th Anniversary of D-Day,” Reeves said. “That’s a lot of money for me. The others in my group pooled their money together for bets. Between “Ike” and me, I think we can get this horse across the finish line in first.”

Normandy Invasion owner Rick Porter said Reeves, by calling him, inspired him to reach out to D-Day veterans to see if any wanted to join him at Churchill Downs for the Derby. He said the barn received over 50 replies. They picked three men who actually landed on the beach at Normandy on D-Day. Reeves makes it four.

Porter said he named his colt for Normandy Invasion as way to pay tribute to the men who died in the D-Day assault. He said he never forgot what he saw when he visited the site for the 50th anniversary.

“Going there gave me a lasting memory I never got out of my mind,” Porter said. “If you see it the place will leave a lasting impression and put chills up your spine. Everything is still pretty much preserved, you can see the beaches where these guys landed and to see the cliffs what these guys were up against. All the things dug out for Germans where they had the machine guns. You could see that when they stepped out of the water, they were sitting ducks and they mowed them down and turned the water red. It’s all incredible to see – the cemetery, the church in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, where the paratrooper (John Steele) got hung up, the five beaches in Normandy, a good sign, because our post is No. 5.”

Reeves said he prayed for post No. 5 for Normandy Invasion, and his prayers were answered.

For a detailed description of Reeves’ time in the service, check out this interview with U-T staff writer John Wilkens. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jun/06/french-connection/

“This whole thing just came together on Wednesday, real last-minute stuff,” Reeves said. “I was told Churchill Downs is involved in it, as is Mr. Porter. I’m so excited about it I can hardly sleep right now. They want me to be their guest, and on Friday morning, there’s a press conference at the barn where I’ll talk about my experiences in the war.”

Reeves said there are parties planned, and he’s looking forward to seeing the Kentucky Derby for the first time, live.

“They’re treating me like I’m Eisenhower,” Reeves said.

This is a man who once bet on and won his wager on the English Derby Stakes when Pearl Diver was a huge upset winner at 66-1. “He beat the big favorite, Tutor Minstrel,” Reeves said.

Normandy Invasion won’t go off at 66-1, but he’ll be an underdog and pay a very good price to that crew that eats at the Normandy Dining Room in the Chateau La Jolla.